Mythful Meanings

In the English language, many meanings come from myths. This blog considers many of those words.

Myths are stories people tell to explain the great mysteries of life, such as birth and death, why the sun rises and sets, and why the moon changes in a predictable pattern.

I decided to start over from the end of the alphabet and work toward the beginning. I have a stack of index cards with information typed on them, all in alphabetical order. When I started this blog, I started at A, because I didn't realize that all the entries would be pushed down.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Pegasus

In both Greek and Roman myth, Pegasus was a winged horse that sprang from the blood of Medusa at her death. Athena caught Pegasus, tamed him, and gave him to the Muses. When he struck his hoof against the ground, the Hippocrene spring, which was sacred to the Muses. Later, Pegasus became the horse of Bellerophon, the ancient Greek hero who killed the Chimera.

English word: We use Pegasus to refer to the class of
mythical winged horses. Pegasus is famous as an advertising icon for a gasoline company.

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